Chapter 93

Just like this, Qiao Jing Jing's life at home began.

Day 1: Live actively – housework, flower arranging, exercise, making tea, reading under the sun, studying cookbooks. She felt that her spirit was raised to a higher level. The only failure was that she and someone cooked an unsightly dinner together.

Day 2: Still live actively – changed to a cookbook that she felt was more reliable, but still made an unsightly dinner together with someone.

Day 3: So, changed to another cookbook, since she bought a lot anyway

Day 4: After suffering these setbacks, she didn't want to live actively anymore. She browsed her mobile phone, slept, and played games… She ate noodles at night…

Day 5: Teacher Yu surprisingly had to work overtime. Did he want to escape from reality? … When he came back, he brought back some rolled-up pastry from his workplace canteen. Very delicious!

Day 6: Went to Guan Zai's home to freeload a meal, got some cooking tips from Mrs Guan and got her promise to give guidance remotely.

On the sixth day, finally the food was kind of edible! Went to watch a movie to celebrate.

Day 7: The throw pillows, slippers, rug, tablecloths, tableware, teacups, etc. purchased online arrived. Teacher Yu's home cuteness index rose 100%!

Day 8: The weight scale bought from Taobao also arrived …. ??? How come she put on weight?

"Control your weight ah. If you don't pay attention, you can put on ten jin in two months." Big Sister Ling gave well-meaning advice over the phone.

"Impossible. Teacher Yu really doesn't have cooking talent, so I can't get fat. Do you know that his high-and-mighty self-confidence has already been shattered to pieces? This is just bloating caused by indigestion from eating too much when we went to his colleague's house the day before yesterday and I pigged out to make up for it." Qiao Jing Jing gave her solemn assurance.

Damn this whole "eating too much the day before yesterday and it still hasn't digested." Big Sister Ling couldn't be bothered with her explanation and instead asked, "You went to his colleague's house? His colleague knows that you two are dating?"

"He knows. I went to visit him a few times when he was sick, which I've told you before."

"Oh, I remember now. That one, you asked me to bring health products from Hong Kong back for him. Then do his other colleagues know?"

"I think they would not know. No one has ever asked him. He can't go around and just say it himself."

Big Sister Ling gave two mischievous laughs. "I recall a post that I forget to send to you to have a look last time."

Soon she sent a web page link over via WeChat. Qiao Jing Jing clicked it open.

Title: My Male Cousin is Working at Shanghai Aerospace. I Will Gossip About It. Those Who Understand This, Come On In

Detail: My cousin graduated from Harbin Institute of Technology, then went to work at Shanghai Aerospace. I went to Shanghai for a visit, and it so happened that my cousin had time, so he treated me to a meal. We've not seen each other for a long time. Moreover my cousin is already thirty years old, so there was nothing much to chat about. After chatting a few words awkwardly, we each started to play with our own mobile phones. Then I came across the romance of another actress, which suddenly made me remember QJJ. Isn't her boyfriend with Shanghai Aerospace? I immediately felt excited and asked him if he had heard anything about this. But it turned out my cousin was very shocked, and said, it can't be; he didn't know anything at all. Then I showed him those photos secretly taken by passers-by. My cousin said, what can you even tell from those, since either the photos are blurry or wearing a mask or a back view? A bright idea suddenly popped up in my mind and I found a video on bilibili website of the exhibition match. Surprisingly, my cousin knows about him! He said, isn't this so and so from 80x institution?! However he doesn't know that guy. But we finally had a conversation topic, thanks to QJJ!

1L:

Grabbing you, poster, please give more details. What did you chat about? Your cousin did not know about this before at all? So no one in their work unit knows about it?

3L:

He really doesn't know. Their work unit is very big. There are many research institutes inside. Qiao Jing Jing's boyfriend is in 80x. My cousin is not in the same place as him. Furthermore my cousin is a technical nerd, so he normally isn't concerned about this stuff.

9L:

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I thought since they're in the same work unit, it would have spread everywhere.

10L:

There really are many people in the aerospace institute, a great number of work units and tens of thousands of people. Moreover, unless you're in the same research institute, it's really normal not to know.

17L:

Actually, apart from those who pay special attention to entertainment gossip, most don't know much. My classmate was very surprised when he heard about it from me last time.

21L:

QJJ is really low-key with her dating life this time… There are some discussions in the forum, but Weibo is completely silent.

31L:

Yes, their work units are very busy. They're often call to go out to work for a hundred days and so on. There are many people and they take frequent work trips, so they don't appear to care much about gossipy news. But my cousin knows about this person and can blurt out his name from watching the video 2333333

38L:

Out of curiosity, how did your cousin know about her boyfriend? Since they are not in the same institute.

40L:

23333 Did your cousin know about him because he is handsome?

49L:

I also asked my cousin the same thing. My cousin said… because he is handsome ah.

Hahahahaha, I almost sputtered. But after thinking about it carefully, it is true. There are a few beautiful women in our school. I don't know them but I know about them. You will be noticed if you look good. My cousin said the food in the canteen at the back of the institute is more delicious, so he often goes there. Thus he will often see him there. The guy is too eye-catching. However, my cousin also said that this person is very capable. Furthermore, his teacher is an academician! Really, such a godly student!

51L:

@_@ Academician!

53L:

Suddenly I've started to understand Qiao Jing Jing a little. This guy is a stock that has lots of potential in the long term.

65L:

For someone as superficial as me, I can understand her by just looking at the guy's face.

66L:

So all of those people spreading negative gossip about QJJ, gossiping about how her boyfriend is poor, are just going against their own consciences. Frankly speaking, perhaps it is QJJ who will bask in his glory in the future.

While Qiao Jing Jing was browsing through the posts, Big Sister Ling sent a message over again.

Big Sister Ling:

The key thing to look at is in 659L.

The discussion actually went over so many posts? Qiao Jing Jing directly scrolled to post 659.

659L:

I'm the original poster. I've come to update on the follow-up! My cousin said that when he was eating today, he met a girl from QJJ's boyfriend's institute. They worked together before, so they know each other. Then he chatted about this with her. That girl actually knew about this and said that exhibition match video was forwarded around in their work unit before. But the girl also said that it may not be true, because she heard that he was still going on blind dates last year!

So I was stupefied. I was even starting to wonder whether QJJ and this godly student really are merely classmates. . . It seems that it is quite normal for classmates to meet up, have meals together, go to movies, stroll in the supermarket, etc.? As you can see, they have never been photographed behaving intimately, right? And they have never been photographed going into a hotel together, or going home, and so on? So has everyone been wrongly blaming the paparazzi when complaining about their inaction? Maybe the paparazzi have followed them and discovered that they really are just classmates and there's nothing to report. . .

Qiao Jing Jing:

…

She immediately took a screenshot and sent it to her "classmate."

Yu Tu:

...

Yu Tu:

Probably a result of that joke on the basketball court last time.

Jing Jing:

No, I don't believe you. You must have gone on blind dates with other people!

Jing Jing:

Rolling and crying.jpg

Yu Tu: 

Helpless.jpg

This "helpless" meme of someone smoking and leaning against the wall was probably the most frequently sent one by Yu Tu. Seeing it, Qiao Jing Jing wanted to laugh. However, Yu Tu unexpectedly disappeared after sending it.

Jing Jing:

Where are you?

Yu Tu still did not reply. Qiao Jing Jing thought that he might be busy working, so she did not talk further and just entertained herself.

After a while, Yu Tu directly called her instead. "Guan Zai has come back to work. Some of our close colleagues plan to hold a welcome back dinner for him. We were too busy last month and dragged it out until now. I went to organize it just now and it was decided that it would be this Saturday.

"Oh, by the way, I said that I'll bring my girlfriend."

The dinner was set for six o'clock on Saturday evening. At four o'clock, Qiao Jing Jing began putting on make up and trying on clothes. At a little past five o'clock, she still had not come out of the wardrobe room.

Yu Tu looked at his watch, put down the book in his hand, and reminded her: "Jing Jing, we should get going."

"Wait for another ten minutes. I will be ready soon."

Yu Tu continued to read his book. "You look the most beautiful without makeup."

"Impossible. I've already aged from doing housework at home every day."

Yu Tu:

"…Isn't it I'm the one who sweeps and mops the floor and washes the dishes every day?"

"But I have to wash vegetables, cook, wash clothes, and wipe down the dust."

"We cook together." Yu Tu reminded her.

"Ai~~~" This reminded Qiao Jing Jing of that sore point. "Why is it you can get yourself admitted into Tsinghua, can do experiments, and can get Penta Kills, but you can't even cook a meal well?"

"This shows that cooking belongs more in the arts category, so you should be the one to make the extra effort."

"No. Anyway, I can live with just eating leafy vegetables, can you?"

... He could not.

This round Yu Tu was wholly defeated.

Ten minutes passed quickly. Yu Tu was right on time to remind her, "It's already 5:15."

"I'm coming."

Finally, Qiao Jing Jing hurried out of the room. She wore a baggy, mid-length sweatshirt with jeans and white shoes. With her hair in a loose bun and her eyes that sparkled with wit, she looked pretty and energetic.

"Do I look good? Isn't it very casual and natural? It gives the feeling like I've no makeup? This is called 'devious' makeup, and it requires a lot of effort to do. You have been rushing me."

Yu Tu's gaze stayed on her for a few seconds, then he lowered his head calmly and said in a casual tone, "You've got the light behind you. Come closer a bit to let me see."

Qiao Jing Jing was not suspicious and moved closer to him. When she got to the front of the sofa, he gave her a hard tug.

"Previously, when you deceived me to go to your home to repair the purifier, the makeup you had on was also this … 'devious' makeup?"

A smart, straight guy with a good memory and power of deduction is very hateful. Qiao Jing Jing immediately denied, "No, I just casually dabbed on five jin of powder."

"Oh? If you added that on, didn't it make you weigh a hundred jin? And Big Sister Ling didn't scold you?"

Qiao Jing Jing:

"..."

So angry! She really wanted to beat someone!

"I was not even 95 jin at that time!"

Yu Tu just couldn't help laughing. He bit her lip lightly, appeasing his angry girlfriend, "I like it very much."

Qiao Jing Jing pushed him away. "Don't smear my lipstick. We're going to be late."

Yu Tu said: "It's too red right now. It's not 'devious' enough."

Qiao Jing Jing:

"… Really?"

"Yes."

…Then okay… kiss away some more…

By the time the color of her lipstick was finally "devious" as well and they left the house, it was already 5:30. When they were halfway there, Da Meng called and asked, "Lao Yu, where are you now?"

Yu Tu used his hands-free. "There's a traffic jam. I reckon we'll be 15 minutes late."

"Oh, then you drive slowly. Lao Guan also has not arrived yet. Oh, by the way, I just asked. There is a minimum charge for the private room. There are also several tables in the main area, so we will just switch to eating there. Table 2."

"It's better to change back to a private room."

"No need la, so fussy. Even though you'll be treating, you don't have to waste money like that."

"It's like this." Yu Tu thought for a moment and decided to make his girlfriend the scapegoat. He said with a criticizing voice, "My girlfriend is a bit finicky."

Qiao Jing Jing:

"..."

"Then okay la." Since Yu Tu already said like this, naturally, he could only do as he said. Before hanging up the phone, Da Meng couldn't help but criticize, "Lao Yu, is it appropriate for you to say stuff like this about your girlfriend in front of her?"

Da Meng took great pains to change to a private room again. Very soon, except for Yu Tu, everyone all arrived one after another. This time everyone brought their girlfriends; only Da Meng was a single dog. Da Meng was feeling very anxious. "Will I be the only one to be urged to get married when I go home for Chinese New Year this year? When did all of you start dating? Nobody said anything before this, but once we were told we could bring girlfriends, it turns out everyone has one."

Xiao Hu said with embarrassment, "I've just started dating. Since this is a free meal, I brought her here."

Guan Zai practically wanted to facepalm himself.

Did he and Yu Tu take up all the emotional intelligence of their team? Did the boy even know how to word his speech? But luckily, the girl beside Xiao Hu didn't seem to feel there was anything wrong. She appeared to be all smiles and very happy.

As the saying goes, the pot's type determines what lid it is matched to. Types like Yu Tu, who are too clever, should be matched with someone like Qiao Jing Jing, who can torment him with quirky ideas.

"Then when did Lao Yu get himself a girlfriend? From his blind date last time?"

Guan Zai couldn't help but say, "Around the time when he deceived you about the WeChat applet."

Da Meng was shocked. "It's been a long time! Wait, how did you know about this applet thing?"

Xiao Yin, the only female colleague present, said with a laugh, "You voiced your grievance everywhere, have you forgotten?"

Da Meng muttered, "I didn't say anything to Lao Guan."

Guan Zai couldn't help but ridicule him. "Can you allocate some of your IQ to your EQ? Can't you learn from Yu Tu?"

Da Meng remain unconvinced. "Lao Yu's EQ also isn't much higher. When we talked on the phone just now, he said right in front of his girlfriend that she is finicky and needs to have a private room."

Do you understand; that was just a little joke to spice up their love life? You're such a single dog.

Guan Zai was speechless for a moment. After hearing this, Shen Jing laughed. "Don't listen to Yu Tu's babbling. He is only making a public display of affection. They came to visit Guan Zai several times before. His girlfriend is very nice. She's the one who booked this restaurant. For Guan Zai's sake, she specially picked a place with less people and that is not noisy. Moreover, before she made the booking, she specifically asked me what food Guan Zai cannot eat."

Guan Zai didn't know about this before. After hearing this, he couldn't help feeling especially pleased, and he chipped in, "Be considerate la. It really is not suitable for his girlfriend to sit in the main dining area."

Da Meng was surprised. "Why?"

Others seemed to recall something and fell deep in thought. "Could it be that…"

While they were talking, the door of their private room was pushed open. The waiter sounded a little excited. "Miss Qiao, your private room is here."

All the people in the private room instantly looked at the door. They saw Yu Tu appear at the doorway, holding the hand of an especially familiar-looking girl. He said to everyone, "Sorry, we are late."

In fact, it was not bad during dinner. Everyone was quite calm. At most, Yu Tu was criticized lightly for keeping everyone in the dark all this time. Also, after Da Meng recovered his composure, he added several good dishes. Throughout the meal, Qiao Jing Jing did not say much. The conversation topic mainly revolved around Guan Zai. It was only after they finished their meal and left that Yu Tu's mobile phone began to explode.

When Qiao Jing Jing came out of the bathroom, Yu Tu was still replying to WeChat messages. Qiao Jing Jing directly sat on his lap and took away his phone.

There were probably already hundreds of messages in the group chat. Da Meng wrote the most, practically a message every few seconds.

Da Meng:

Lao Yu, since both of you were senior high school classmates, have you already been dating for more than ten years?

Da Meng:

I think it is possible. I found out today that Lao Yu is a very shrewd person.

Qiao Jing Jing could not help laughing. "Look at your image in your colleagues' minds. Serves you right for deceiving people."

While she looked at the WeChat chat record, her line of thought suddenly diverged. "If we were together in high school, what would we be like now?"

Before Yu Tu had a chance to reply, she went back on her words. "Forget it, it's better that we weren't together. Otherwise I might not have embarked on my current career path and I definitely would not be as beautiful as I am now, nor would I be as interesting as I am now. Forget it, forget it."

Yu Tu:

"..."

Qiao Jing Jing proudly summed up, "Aiya, although it's ten years late, you still have such a beautiful girlfriend. Happy? Satisfied?"

What else could Yu Tu, who had not had a chance to say anything throughout the conversation, say now? Of course he could only use real action to express his satisfaction.